Caught Off Guard
by TheRandomPhangirl
Summary: Danny was just minding his own business -whilst sleeping in class- when he was woken up by a chill that only he could feel. Next thing he knows, a secret comes out and he hopes his friends will talk him out of confronting those of which he fears -and loves- the most.
1. Chapter 1

Danny was peacefully snoozing in class, much to Mr. Lancer's chagrin, when a chill rudely awakened him.

"Five more minutes," He grumbled to himself, although knowing that there would be consequences if his statement were true. So, instead of going back to his dreams, Danny raised his hand. Mr. Lancer was partially surprised to see a hand raised. The class was watching a movie based on a book they had just finished reading, so Mr. Lancer didn't expect to have to interact with his students at all. He was hoping, actually. He hadn't been having the best day, which was the reason why he let Danny sleep. He understood. Mr. Lancer motioned for Danny to come to his desk as not to disturb the rest of the class.

"Can I go to the bathroom?" Danny asked, rubbing his eyes. Mr. Lancer sighed.

"Take the hall pass." he barely glanced up as he told Danny so, instead of going back to his book. Danny rushed out of the classroom. Mr. Lancer stood up from his desk and went to put Danny's things into his book bag so that he would not be late for his next class. He knew that Danny would not be back for a while. The old man did not, however, expect those things to still be sitting there after the final bell rang. As the balding teacher scooped the items into the green-stained bookbag, Mr. Lancer noticed Sam and Tucker watching the door, then simultaneously looking out of the window. Were they expecting something?

Danny speed-walked out of the classroom, barely remembering to grab the hall pass, even though he had only been reminded a moment ago. Danny set the laminated piece of paper on the white porcelain of the nearest sink and went into the bathroom stall. Amateur graffiti covered the walls, not only limited to matters of school appropriacy. Danny managed to get out a chuckle at a joke that could have been from none other than Tucker. Danny thought of his two friends still sitting in class with jealousy as a ring of white light enveloped his body and then split, one side traveling up to his now snow-white hair, the other going south and meeting the cold tile. Meanwhile, a boy named Mikey ran, almost screaming, out of the bathroom, thinking he had just witnessed the light from an alien abduction.

It was Maddie Fenton's lucky day. She and her husband, Jack, had finally arrived at a scene before a certain white-haired ghost kid. Although not for long. He arrived very soon after their RV skidded to a halt, but Madeline still had a lucky feeling about this day. It seemed that, for once, the ghost hadn't noticed their arrival. The so-called hero managed to ward off the almost formless poltergeist before the Fentons had even gotten out the bazooka. but Maddie managed to ready one invention before the phantom could fly back to wherever it had come from. She took aim and caught the specter by surprise. The (half) ghost had a horrified look on its face before it's expression melted into an elongated, blue-tinged form as he was pulled into a new Fenton thermos.

It was dark. that was all Danny could tell. Yet he couldn't feel anything physically. All he could feel was an empty abyss. Cold and dark. So, so dark. And suffocating. Danny felt as though he would never take another breath again. He felt as if all air had been depleted in his first breath. But he didn't even know if that was true, because he could feel no lungs amidst his mass. His ability to think with some degree of clearness was returned to him. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd had a moment of clarity. but then it disappeared again, flowing back into the depths of an imaginary ocean, whose water he could not hold. Then, another moment passed him by. It lasted longer this time, and he could vaguely make out voices somewhere outside the walls that seemed to make up his very being.

"What do you think we should do now, Maddie?"

"I'm not sure. They are so many realities that we cannot even hope to explore them all."

Jazz didn't know what she would do when her parents walked through the door, claiming that they had finally caught their biggest target. In desperation, Jazz asked if she could see the thermos that her parents claimed that "prize" lied within.

"Not today, Jazzy-pants," Jack said.

"We trust you, but this is too big to risk you dropping the thermos or accidentally pushing a button. After all, you've never held one before."

They had no idea just how wrong they were. Jazz had used a thermos before, although not in the way intended. Danny had been mad enough that time even after he was only in there for a few minutes. She had no idea what it would be like for him in the small space for an unknown amount of time. He had been so distraught and out of breath the last time that he'd told her nothing about the experience. She didn't know whether or not he'd told Sam or Tucker. That was it! Sam and Tucker. But they wouldn't be out of school for another hour or so, and she was on her own until then. Jazz tried all she could, but her parents had locked the door to the basement after Jack had found her at the door on his way back from the bathroom. Jazz sat on her bed and sent off a text to Sam, then one to Tucker. Finally, ten minutes later, her ringtone sounded. "Is Danny home yet?" Sam had asked. "You need to come over here, then I'll explain."

The moment faded, but a feeling of desperation stayed, so instilled in Danny's being was his fear that he forced his lapsing mind to think. He began to move from side to side, feeling his world tip. He finally was able to tip just far enough. Gravity enacted upon him and the thermos clattering to the floor. To Danny's luck, he had pushed a button. The vividity and tangibility of the world honestly shocked Danny. His lungs took in a shuddering breath. His newly reformed brain could barely process shouts that rang in his ears. His instincts took over and he ran straight to the ghost portal. But a blast hit his heel and he tripped forward face first onto the cold, hard metal floor. He didn't have time to scramble to his feet before he was cornered. It can't end like this, he thought as he looked up into the green glow of readily-armed weapons. He was not thinking clearly but had one idea. He put his arms over his head and let the white rings of pure light envelop him again. This time, all those in the presence of the light did not believe in aliens, or at least not as much as ghosts.

Sam and Tucker sprinted- well more like Sam sprinted while dragging Tucker behind her- straight to Fenton Works. Jazz was anxiously waiting at the door. She confirmed the sneaking suspicions that had formed in Sam's mind. As soon as Sam heard that Danny was in the basement, she sprinted towards the locked door and tried to wrench it open.

"Watch out." Came a surprisingly calm voice from behind her. She heard an all-too-familiar whine as Tucker powered up a just-in-case wrist ray and blasted the handle off of the door. They got there just in time. Sam could see Danny's parents standing over his ghost form, who had his arms over his head. The ghost hunters had their weapons at the ready but hadn't decided what to do yet. Then Danny changed back to his ebony-black hair, icy blue eyes, distinct red-and-white t-shirt, and sneakers.

"Danny!" Jazz yelled first. She sprinted down the stairs with Sam and Tucker at her heels. They ran across the green glowing lab and pushed the adult Fentons aside. Sam put a hand on Danny's shoulder. He was shaking terribly. A cloud of fading desperation hung around him in whisps. He raised his head and looked into Sam's eyes with his own tear-filled ones. But then Sam's expression hardened. She looked away and into the faces of the very people who had caused Danny's scarred state. Jazz helped Danny to his feet and held onto one side while Tucker helped Danny on the other. Sam gave the adults a disapproving look as she walked by.

"You make me SICK."


	2. Chapter 2

Jazz and Tucker walked ahead, Danny between them. Sam lagged behind making sure Danny didn't fall back down the stairs if one of them tripped or something like that. Sam's chest ached for Danny. they reached the top of the stairs, and none of them said a word. Danny unhooked his arms from behind Tucker and Jazz's neck and sat down on the couch. His eyes drooped and he reclined. Within moments his breaths turned from the frantic sound of adrenaline to the deep snores of sleep. His peaceful face calmed Sam, too.  
"Is anyone going to talk about what just happened?" Tucker asked. There was no reply. "Well then..."  
Jazz sighed. "It might not be best for Danny to stay here tonight."  
"He can stay at my house." Sam and Tucker said in unison.  
"You and Danny can stay at my house," Sam said in response to her's and Tucker's identical statements.  
"Yeah, that's probably a better idea." Suddenly they all heard footsteps coming from the basement. it seemed that Jazz decided to take charge.  
"You guys should go. I'll get some of Danny's clothes and stuff and bring them over later. In response, Sam started shaking Danny's shoulder. He woke up confused and followed Sam as she pulled him by his arm.  
"What's going on?" he hadn't remembered yet.

Jazz closed the door behind the trio just as her parents walked into the living room. Without looking at them Jazz walked up the stairs and went into Danny's room. Jazz's mood was sober. She didn't know if her parents had done anything to hurt Danny. All she had seen was Danny scared and hiding in the corner with ectoguns aimed at his head. She decided to set her mind to her task instead of letting her imagination run wild. She opened Danny's drawer and was disgusted at the sorry of state of Danny's folding skills. All of his shirts, even though they were all the same, were in complete disarray. the ones at the bottom were okay enough, but all of the shirts on top seemed like they had just been shoved in without a care, or without the time to. It also seemed that at least half of them were dirty. Jazz made a mental note to scold her brother later and reorganized the drawer. It was almost thirty minutes later before she remembered her task. She was reminded by a quiet knock at the door.  
"Mind if I come in?" Maddie's voice asked.

Tucker, Sam, and Danny walked to Sam's house. They made a short stop at Tucker's, then continued on their way.  
"Are you okay dude?" Tucker asked. Danny sighed.  
"I didn't want them to find out like this." His shoulders were hunched and he looked as if he was holding onto himself for dear life, or was just really cold and without a jacket. Which he was. Danny's jacket was lying with his other thing at the back of Mr. Lancer's classroom.  
"Maybe we should wait to talk until we get to my house, we don't want anyone to overhear," Sam interjected as she glared at someone walking on the sidewalk across the street. Danny nodded, but Tucker thought Sam had been a bit rude. He didn't argue, but he wondered what was going through his best friends' heads. Danny was just hunched over now, with his hands in his pockets. Sam, on the other hand, looked like she normally did, even if the frown was a new addition. All of a sudden Danny's ghost sense went off. Sam and Tucker looked at Danny to see what he'd do, but he just shook his head and kept walking. They had almost reached Sam's when the awkward silence became too much for Tucker.  
"Let's talk about something, anything!" he threw his hands up in exasperation.  
"What do you wanna talk about?" Danny asked and shrugged.  
"How about the latest Doomed update, remember how they fixed that "level zero" glitch?"  
"Oh yeah." Danny's mood finally started to shift away from that of a kicked puppy. Tucker had successfully managed to take Danny's mind off of the... prior events of the day. Tucker Foley; one, feels; zero.

I noticed that two out of my three reviews -wow, that's a lot for me- said they wanted to see what happened next! So... here is another chapter! More to come! But if you have read here so far, I want to ask something. I had an idea, but I'd like another opinion (Or two!). I'd call the story: Diary of a Goth Girl (Wow, I wonder who that's about!) anyway, the idea is to tell diary entries of Sam's more important moments from the show! So, maybe tell me what you think?


	3. Chapter 3

"You first, Danny."  
"It's your house. you go first."  
"But-"  
"Y'know what? I'll go first." Tuck launched the heavy ball in his hand forward and it hurled at frightening speed- right into the gutter.  
"Maybe you really are Bad Luck Tuck." Sam joked. As his friends had their own version of a sibling rivalry over a game of bowling, Danny became lost in his thoughts. If anyone had looked at his face at the moment they would see glazed over, stormy blue eyes that weren't really seeing anything. Then, someone did notice. Danny. He shook his head of the thoughts that were threatening to rush over him like a tsunami.  
"Is it my turn yet?" Danny asked. His friends really didn't know just how much they meant to him. They were the shining stars in the sky that the tumultuous seas would never reach.  
"Yeah, but go easy on us." Tucker handed Danny a bowling ball. "I'm too weak for this game." he then huffed a sound of annoyance. In response, Sam smirked mischievously. Danny could see by their almost convincing reactions that they were trying to make him feel better. And it was working. Although his head was still a bit fuzzy and exhaustion from overexertion was taking its toll, Danny was actually having a good time.

"Can I come in?" She asked. Maddie was staring at the panels of her son's door. Her hand still held up to the door, waiting to knock again if need be. Which she was about too until it was no longer needed. To Maddie's partial surprise, it was Jazz who opened said door. In her wake were a dozen or so of Danny's shirts, some folded neatly on the anything-but neat bed, and others sitting in a pile on the floor, as there was no room in the hamper.  
"What do you want." jazz asked cooly, but slightly inquisitively.  
"What happened... down there?" She had been thinking herself in circles a minute ago. "Was that Danny? Our Danny? And how..." She let her sentence hang in the air, unsure how to continue.  
"First of all, you tell me, and second of all, that is not my story to tell. But yes, that was my brother." Maddie took a second to take that in. Her motherly mind was taking back seat at the moment, and she was thinking of any logical solution she could. Could it be that Danny was pretending? Bu then the thermos wouldn't have worked, but then again, it had never been tested on a person. But then what about the... transforming? And why would he be so scared? Either her own son was afraid of her, or Phantom had used her Danny as a scapegoat. the latter seemed more likely, but then why did Jazz answer the way she did? Or did Jazz really know something she didn't? Then she realized she was overthinking things. Whatever the answer was, it was secret to her, and if a secret was that important then she wouldn't have been left enough clues to solve the mystery. Maddie sighed and sat on Danny's bed. Jazz still stood in the doorway. Maddie heard her daughter sigh and close the door.  
"Is where Danny went a secret too?" Maddie asked.  
"I don't know. But it's easy to figure out, so no point in it even if Danny wouldn't want me to tell. He went to Sam's" A small "oh" escaped Maddie's lips in response. She shouldn't be surprised that Danny had fled. Jazz walked past Maddie as she talked, and went back to putting Danny's things in order. All was silent for a minute, a strained silence filled the air. that is, until jazz closed the dresser's drawer's, put two pairs of clothes into one of Danny's bookbags, along with a phone charger, and walked out of Danny's room, not bothering to close the door behind her.

Sam could tell by Danny's frazzled aura that he was starting to get tired of bowling. After all, someone could only take so much of Tucker's bad puns. Sam slid onto the comfy loveseat beside Danny, no pun intended.  
"Are you Ok?" Sam asked. Danny only shrugged. "Wanna watch a movie?" Danny shrugged again. Sam took that as a yes. "Hey, Tuck! We're gonna watch a movie, suggestions?"  
"But I just got on my winning-" He tossed the ball and knocked down all ten pins "-strike!" Crickets. "Get it? 'Cause it's usually streak, but it's bowling, so it's strike!"  
"I got it, Tucker. I just didn't think it was funny." Suddenly, and swiftly, Danny stood and made his way to the door. "Where are you going?" Sam asked. Danny turned to face her, and Sam finally noticed how troubled he looked, how stormy his blue eyes were.  
"I have to tell them. I have to say something. Or else they'll jump to their own conclusion, and might not be as accepting if I wait." Danny reasoned, but yet he didn't take another step, even after he turned to face the stairs again. But then he shook his head and continued up the stairs. Sam and Tucker looked at each other. Each asking the silent question: _Should they stop him?_

Nothing much to say, but thanks to everyone who's reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Danny was somber as he walked back home. The storm inside of him continued to frazzle his nerves, making him jump at every unexpected sound. Anxiety ravaged through his chest, causing his heart's normally slow pace to quicken even more. Nothing felt safe, it was like a feeling of being permanently watched, and never knowing when the hunter would strike. If only the hunter was a ghost. Danny thought. He could deal with those. Skulker could vouch for him there. But, no. The hunters he was facing now were his own parents. Ghost hunters. And he felt ashamed that facing them put him so on edge.

When Danny walked in the door, he could plainly smell something coming from the kitchen. the wafting deliciousness was almost enough to make the anxiety go away. that is, until Danny heard a hushed voice.

"What are you doing back here?" Jazz asked as she quietly closed the door behind Danny. Danny went to explain, but Jazz put a finger to her lips, telling Danny to shush. The sounds of snores curiously joined the smells coming from the kitchen. Jazz then grabbed his wrist and began pulling him up the stairs and into her room. She set down a vaguely familiar bookbag and turned back to Danny.

"Now, why?" Danny was too adrenaline-pumped to think of a clear answer at the moment. So, he took a deep breath. It seemed to work, a little. Danny sat down on the bed next to Jazz. He briefly looked out of the window, at the stars that called out to him and the moon that seemed to yearn for his shadow to cast across the town he protected. Even if they didn't want him to sometimes.

"I have to tell them," Danny reworded his speech from only about ten minutes ago. "If I wait, then they'll jump to their own conclusions. or," Danny paused, "-Did you say anything yet?" his eyes widened. If Jazz had said anything-

"No, not really. All they know is that you were yourself during... whatever happened in the basement." Danny sighed in response. If that was all Jazz had said, he could still explain everything in his own way and have some degree of control over how his next conversation would go. Danny could see Jazz looking at him in the corner of his eye. She was giving him her "psychiatrist" stare.

"Want me to help?" Danny had never before been so relieved.

Maddie still didn't know what to think, even fifteen minutes after her conversation with Jazz. She was stressing out, and so she did what always used to calm her nerves in college. She cooked. It was nothing complex, really. But the recipies and ingredients swirling in her head took up the space that would otherwise go to the single topic that was most likely to make her go insane. And thus, she stirred, mixed, and measured to her heart's content. When she had come in earlier, she had seen Jack passed out at the table, a package of his emergency fudge resting in front of him. Maddie had no idea how he could be sleeping right now. But she majorly ignored his presence and blocked everything out while she focused on her task. That was, of course, until Danny walked over the kitchen's treshold with Jazz in toe. Both seemed anxious. Maddie fought the urge to immediately give Danny a hug. He needed his space. She instead settled for putting her hand on his shoulder, as Sam had done only hours ago.

"Are you ok?" she asked and looked into his eyes. They had a determined set to them, despite the obvious exhaustion she could see in their baby-blue depths.

"Yeah, but I guess i owe you an explanation." Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously, as he always did. Maddie was glad to see that part of the Danny she knew was still there, even if it was hidden underneath the ball of anxiety that had now surfaced. Maddie's motherly instincts were still in gear. Science had taken the backseat.

Jack was happy where he was. All around him were sunny flowers. And next to him sat his beautiful wife. the sun shone overhead, and the birds acted as the choir as he leaned forward toward Maddie and- slid his hand right nto the picnic basket, grabbing a container of fudge. Litttle did Jack know, he had been sleepwalking. Jack had gone straight up to his bedroom to sleep after what he thought was a nightmare. He thought that maybe sleeping in his dream would wake him up. He might've been called Dr., albeit by his own request, not his degree, but he was not at all versed in the logic of dreams.

At his mom's worry, Danny calmed a bit. And so he let his usualy demeanor override the one he'd had as of late. He was partially glad if a small bit dissapointed when Maddie didn't immediately hug him. If she had, he most likely wouyld've started crying and been unable to finish the task his frail confidence had set for him. And so, he sat at the table. Jazz sat next to him, and Maddie went across the table, while also waking up Jack.

"Fudge..." He mumbled and reached out in front of him. He somehow grabbed a piece from the container and shoved it into his huge mouth before Maddie could wake him. He choked on the fudge when he first woke up.

"Dad! Spit it out!" Jazz yelled. He instead swallowed the glob whole. Jazz facepalmed and shook her head. Danny was glad that a bit of the tension was broken as Jazz got their Dad a glass of water. But then Danny looked from Jazz back to his dad. His expression, for once, was unreadable. But then he broke into a polite smile.

"Danny, you're home, how was school?" Danny gaped at him. Had he really forgotten? But his obliviousness again helped to lift the mood a little. It made Danny even more hesitant to begin.

"I.." Danny didn't know how to say, or what to say next. Then Maddie elbowed jack in the ribs. he hadn't noticed her.

"Danny wants to explain what happened earlier." Recognition dawned on his face.

"Oh." His usually large size san into his chair and his eyes bored into Danny's own. Jazz got back to the table and handed the glass of water to Jack. He took it quietly and Jazz reassumed her seat next to Danny. No one spoke for a moment. Except for jack, who coughed and took a drink.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Jazz suggested.

"Ok." Danny steeled his courage. "You remember the day I told you guys the portal started?" The adults shook their heads yes. "Well, I never really told you how that happened. You see-" He gestured along with his words, "I pressed the ON button. And it was on the inside. And so, I was inside the portal when it started. I have no idea how, but somehow the portal..." He searched for the words that wouldn't upset his parents, but could find none. " half-killed me." He looked at his parents to see if they understood. Their expressions seemed to be confused, but they waited for him to continue. "And when that happened, I got ghost powers. That's why all your ghost stuff reacted to me, for example, the ghost gabber. I almost told you guys right then, but," he looked for an explanation, but only shrugged.

"So you're saying, that one of our inventions HALF-killed you?" Jack asked. Danny nodded.

"What about the time with the mayor?" Maddie asked. Danny already had an explanation, he knew one of them would bring that up.

"A ghost named Walker tried to get revenge on me."

"Just how many enemies have you made?" Danny's mom asked.

"More than I care to count," He joked dryly.

For some reason that disturbed Maddie. It was unsettling to think that her own son had been in danger and she hadn't known about it. Danny didn't look like he knew what else to say now. There was an awkward silence in the air. It was broken by Jack.

"Ths is all a bunch of lies. What you say you became is utterly impossible and improbable." Maddie couldn't help but gape at her husband using such large words that she didn't even think could be in his vocabulary.

"But it IS possible. I'm half-living proof." Danny seemed to be getting defensive.

"Then prove it." Jack said, Maddie still couldn't beleive the words that were coming out of his mouth.

"Jack, you need to be more sensitive." Maddie scolded, but then realized that if she had let her scientific brain take over, then she'd probably be being as cynical as he was right now.

"No, mom. It's fine. if he needs proof, I can give him proof."

"Danny-" Jazz started to try to convince him otherwise. But Danny didn't pay attention. Next thing Maddie knew, he had stood up. He looked right into jack's eyes, then he no longer had eyes. he was invisible. Then he reappeared, walked over to the table, and put his hand through it. Next, he formed something in his hand, it looked like a snowflake. After that, Danny's feet lifted off the ground. Then he landed.

"Is that enough proof?" Danny asked.

How dare he not believe him. Danny felt a bit insulted. And so he showed off his powers. Invisiblitity, intabgibility, ice, and flight. He looked back at his Dad. He had a look on his face of reluctance.

"Now, I think an apology is in order." Jazz pointed out bitterly. She stared away from Danny and to their parents. Despite being knocked off his feet at his dad's reaction, Danny said:

"They didn't know, Jazz. Take it easy on them."

"What did they do to you?" Jazz asked. She was plainly ignoring the adults.

"They didn't do anything." Danny put his hand on her shoulder. He then sighed and sat back down. "I didn't want it to end up like this. I should've told you guys from the beginning."

"Yes, you should have." Maddie's voice was laced with discomfort, but she stood up and walked over to danny. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. Danny never wanted her to leave. And she didn't. Then there was a loud scraping of tile as Jack stood up and exited the room. Jazz went to catch up with him. But Danny didn't want to think about him. All he wanted to think about was his Mom's warm embrace and her love. That was until a bone-deep chill rolled accross his spine.

"What was that?" His mom asked, she took a step back, but left her hands on Danny's shoulders. He didn't want it to end, but it had to. He couldn't ignore another ghost. And so he looked into his Mom's concerned amethyst eyes.

"That happens whenever a ghost is nearby. I call it my ghost sense." Danny smiled, glad to finally be able to share these kinds of things. His mom didn't have a response. Danny guessed there wasn't really much to say to that.

"There's one other thing I should show you." Danny took a step away from Maddie. He allowed himself to grin and closed his eyes, as he always did when he transformed. When he opened his eyes again, Maddie had a look of regret on her face. She gave Danny another hug. She seemed to be very affectionate, which was a bit odd for her.

"You're a hero, aren't you?" his mom whispered in his ear.

"I try to be." he smiled mischievously in a flash of inspiration and went intangible. He lifted himself into the air. "I'll be home soon." He smiled, waved and flew off to take care of whatever ghost had chosen to have their path crossed by him. The box ghost was very surprised at his big grin that remained upon the ghost-boy's face during the entire fight.

Aaaand here's the end! Sorry for taking so long to upload this chapter (Ectober got ahold of me for a few days.)


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